Porch fire escape



1 640,702 A 1927' H. E. HODGSON PORCH FIRE ESCAPE Filed May 6, 192a s Sheets-Sheet 1 9 7 NWT!) V Aug'. so, 1937, I

H. E. HQDGS QN PORCH FIRE ESCAPE :s Sheefs-Sheet 3 Filed May 6, 1926 m Q v UVQ uwmuw wu u mm v. T22 (C Q \\\\W Patented Aug. 30,

HARRIETTE Eiv's'LEY' HODGSON, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

The objects of this others, to provide a very great bers of persons, visions for both and for those of a bold and tion, at the same time tunity for rescue; to which is substantially provide a fire-escape desirable and serviceable porches 1,640,702 PATENT OFFICE.

PORCH FIRE ESCAPE.

Application med may e,

invention are, among fire-escape affording facilities of escape to large numthe facilities including proinactive or timid persons active disposiaffordmggreat opporpr'ovide a fire-escape burglar-proof; and to which provides very or porch rooms for the occupants of the apartments of'the building, which may be used sleeping, or outdoor purposes, will be safe play places for children.

In the accompanying o and which babies and small drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention:

Figure 1 18 a escape on the outside front elevation of the fireof a building;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view taken through one of the enclosures.

The wall of the wall, is marked 2, and

building, usually the rear 3 are window or door openings there-in opening into the enclosures of the fire-escape 4.

The fire-escape comprises a vertical series of commodious enclosures 5 opposite the several stories of the building.

thedrawing, but it will stories are shown in Only three be understood that the invention is applicable to buildings of any The sides of the enclosures are formed in whole or in part of structure 6, or posslb height.

a horizontally barred ly of some equivalent construction which will serve the purposes of the invention.

The sides parallel with the wall 2, and also the sides at right angles to such walls, are preferably of such construction, but it should one or more of the whole or in part of An important be understood that s1des may consist 1n different construction. function of the barredv structure 6 is to provide a broad ladder, ex-

tending down the fire-escape from the top enclosure to, or sufliciently near to, the

ground, to

enable vmany persons to climb down the outside of the fire-escape to safety,

and by up the fire-escape to abled persons.

the same means firemen can swarm of diseffect rescues Each of the enclosures of the fire-escape is provided with win dow or door openings 1926; Serial No. 107,000.

in its sides arranged so that persons in the enclosure can gain access to the outside ladder. In the stories above the ground floor, the opening are preferably window openings placed a distance above the floors, and are provided with closures 7, which are preferably inthe nature of outwardly opening, double-leaved frames 8 guarded by strong open-Work 9. The lower-most compartment has a door 10 similarly designed. It will beunderstood, however, that the form of these closures may be varied, provided, ho'wever, that they constitute sufficiently strong barriers to make it difficult for a burglar to break in, and also that the openings or the closures, or both, be so arranged and designed, that small children cannot open them on the upper floors, or get through them.

Each of these closures is provided on the inside with a suitable catch or latch 11 adapted to bereadily opened on the inside, but not from the outside, these latches being protected by plates 12 set into the closures, and also cups and flanges 13 on the inner sides of the plates to prevent the latches being released by inserting an arm or an instrument through the openwork and reaching around behind the plate.

The enclosures of the fire-escape have solid floors 14:; and the floors above the groundiloor enclosure are provided with trap-door openings, which are closed by trap-doors 15. vIn order to provide ample exit from each enclosure to the enclosure beneath, two trap-doors are arranged in each of these floors, other, preferably at diagonally opposite corners, and the trap-doors in successive floors are disposed in staggered relation, so that the formation of wells is avoided, there being solid floor beneath eachopening in "the floor above. These trap-doors are locked by latches 16 operatable from above but not from below, so that they can be readily i ladders from being.

at points remote from each J blocked by those slow in their movements,

it being necessary either to drop the dis tance from the foot of the ladder, or else to swing over onto the broad ladders formed 1 J. 1.. by the iClJdCGIlb barred sides of the enclosures.

The trap=doors are to be painted red so that they can not oe-overlooked, and they are recessed at their tree edges to permit the ladders 17 to extend through the openings.

The top enclosure has a trap-door 18 through its top, to enable persons in this enclosure to escape onto the roof, if this should be more convenient, or it escape should be cut oil below, This door a catch 19 which can be opened iroin below, but not from above.

The fireescape structure has suitable corner supports 20, and suitable intermediate verticals 21 uniting the bars and contributing to the support.

An important function of the grille work is to constitute a babyguard, preventing all possibility of babies'and small children left to play felling oil-the porches. The bars are, thenefore placed sufiioiently close to gether to keep a child from getting through, this close spacing being entirely suitable, and indeed adyantageous, in respect to the use of the structure as a safe ladder \Vhat I claim as new is:

A fire-escape comprising series of enclosures on the outside of a building having internal passageways permitting persons to passrdownward from one enclosure to an other, and trap-doors for said passageways with latches adapted to be readily opened.

from above but not fronifbelow, the lire escape also having external lat der means, and openings in its sides enabling persons to gain said external means, withclosures for said openings and latches for said closures adapted to be readily opened from the in side but not from the outside. v HARRIETTE ENSLEY HODGSON. 

